DIY Roman Clay Walls | One Room Challenge: Week Five Desert Bathroom Makeover

I’m most excited about this week’s bathroom project! When we started planning this room I dreamed of having dreamy textured beige walls. I loved the movement, subtle texture and earthy feel it gave spaces. Roman clay is a type of plaster that was used by the ancient Romans. It’s a versatile and durable material that can be used for anything from creating sculptures to repairing walls and gives the loveliest textured finish.

While I originally planned on doing lime wash I ended up going to the paint store Portola Paints, and having Roman clay recommended to me instead. I was hooked, got a few samples, and then headed back to the desert house that night. I sampled out the colors I got and was obsessed and very impatient. Not wanting to wait until next week to get the full gallons of clay I started researching what Roman clay is exactly. On a basic level its plaster and paint. This got me thinking since I have been plastering the walls already and know how the material works. I found some DIY’s online and thought I’d wing it that night. I drove to The Home Depot, looked at some swatches, and decided the beige-toned Behr color literally called ‘Roman Plaster’ must be a safe bet for my first time making my own Roman clay! I bought joint compound here, and a gallon of eggshell paint and primer in the color Roman Clay by Behr and voila!

Now came the big experiment. I honestly had no idea how to mix the two products to get the right color and consistency. I knew from skim coating the room before that I wanted a pancake-like consistency for the joint compound. So I filled a bucket with roughly 2/3 parts of joint compound blended with water to the right consistency, and then poured 1/3 parts of the paint color to it then blended with my mixer on my drill.

On the first mix I tested it on the walls and it looked good, so I went for it. It took a few refills to cover the entire room, and the second coat I didn’t get my measurements exactly the same (I used slightly less paint) and it turned out a bit lighter. Luckily that was not a problem because it just gave more of a Roman clay varied texture, and I just went over everything noticeably different with a darker mix.

I wanted to cover every inch of the walls with Roman clay, so of course I did the ceiling as well. The ceiling was a big ol’ pain in the butt and my neck hurts now, haha. But it looks so worth it in the end!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

I followed a pretty simple recipe: 2/3 parts joint compound to 1/3 part paint. Mix it well with a drill paint mixer and apply to wall or surface with a scraper or palette knife.

Ingredients:

• paint color of your choice (I used ‘Roman Plaster‘ by Behr in eggshell)
• joint compound + water
• joint knife
• dropcloth
• water
• bucket or mixing bowl (preferably with measurement lines)
• drill mud mixer attachment
• protective gear (gloves, mask, goggles)

Step 1: Combine the ingredients. Start by mixing together the joint compound and water to a smooth pancake-like finish. Use a drill mud mixer attachment to blend.

Step 2: Slowly 1/3 parts paint until the mixture has the consistency of thick pancake batter.

Step 3: Mix thoroughly to ensure that all of the mix is fully blended without clumps or bubbles.

Step 4: Apply the clay using a joint knife to spread the clay onto the surface you wish to cover. Smooth and shape it with varying strokes.

Step 5: Let it dry overnight. Once dry you can lightly sand it. If you want to can seal it you can buy sealant here.

I love how it turned out and cant wait to do more rooms in Roman clay and experiment with other colors.

The Paint Color I Used

You can mix in any paint color of your choice, but I used ‘Roman Plaster‘ by Behr (PPU7-10) in eggshell for this project. I liked this color because it was a relatively neutral beige and had that classic creaminess. This color is in the white color family, and a light, creamy beige reminiscent of ancient sculptures. I love how this color turned out.

There are only THREE MORE WEEKS of the One Room Challenge. Any guesses on what I’ll be tackling next week to really make this bathroom come together?

Follow me on Instagram @erikacarlock to see more of the project come together!

One Room Challenge: Week One | Desert Bathroom Makeover

One Room Challenge: Week Two | Small Updates

One Room Challenge: Week Three | Floating Shelves

One Room Challenge: Week Four | DIY Tub Tile Refinishing on a Budget